beat/scare the daylights out of somebody
beat the (living) daylights out of (one)
1. To physically attack one, as with punches and other blows, such that they suffer significant injury. This phrase can be used both literally and hyperbolically. Our neighbor is in the hospital because a burglar beat the daylights out of him. I'm worried that the captain of the football team will beat the living daylights out of me if he finds out that I'm secretly seeing his girlfriend. Oh, my boyfriend knows that I would beat the living daylights out of him if he ever lies to me about something that serious.
2. To defeat one decisively in a competition. The final score was 17-1? Wow, we really beat the living daylights out of that team!
See also: beat, daylight, of, out
scare the (living) daylights out of (one)
To shock or frighten one very suddenly or severely. Don't sneak up on me like that—you scared the living daylights out of me! That car accident seems to have scared the daylights out of Janet. She's still pretty badly shaken by it.
See also: daylight, of, out, scare
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
beat/scare the (living) ˈdaylights out of somebody
(informal) hit somebody/something very hard and repeatedly; frighten somebody very much: He said if I did it again he’d beat the living daylights out of me! I don’t think I’ll go to see that new horror film at the cinema. Jane said it scared the daylights out of her.See also: beat, daylight, of, out, scare, somebody
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
- beat the (living) daylights out of (one)
- beat the hell out of (one)
- beat the living daylights out of
- beat the living daylights out of someone
- beat the tar out of (one)
- knock the (living) daylights out of (one)
- knock the hell out of
- knock the hell out of (one)
- knock the living daylights out of